Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka sporting a gold Rolex watch (circled). Photo: Facebook / Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka
Fiji's Prime Minister has addressed allegations for the first time that he was given a Rolex watch valued at FJ$150,000 (about NZ$113,000) in exchange for pardoning a wealthy businessman facing criminal charges.
Sitiveni Rabuka in a statement said "he has the right to remain silent and the media must prove the allegations."
He claimed the media is attempting to distract the public from important issues.
Photos of Rabuka flaunting the gold watch have been circulating on social media.
Former prime minister and Labour leader Mahendra Chaudhry has been demanding to know where the prime minister got the watch from.
"It is alleged by a reputable journalist that Rabuka was given the watch after Mahendra Motibhai Patel, the former chairman of Prouds, was pardoned last September on abuse of office charges," he told RNZ Pacific.
The Labour Party reacted to the prime minister's response on the allegations by saying it is an insult to every Fijian struggling to make ends meet.
"Is he not the same leader who vowed to root out corruption and usher in an open, inclusive and accountable government - now hiding behind legal technicalities when cornered for an answer?," it said.
It said "Fijians don't want dodgy courtroom tactics from you - they want upfront answers to questions about the gold Rolex on your wrist."
